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How green my city

Although the city is growing every day, it has not lost its old-world charm, says Anupama R

In those days, Thiruvananthapuram - Trivandrum then - became part of one's life every summer. As a child who visited this city on holidays, what remained in the memory most were the quiet roads, majestic buildings and the delicious smell of garlic chicken from a road side restaurant in Vazhuthacaud.

Two decades on, things have changed. Trivandrum is Thiruvananthapuram. Roads are no longer quiet and most of those majestic buildings have disappeared. But this is not a requiem for a city that once was. In addition to retaining its old world charm, it is very much on the way to development and modernity, keeping pace with many of its big sister cities. Says Sudha Warrier, freelance film scholar and academic, who has lived mostly in Thiruvananthapuram, "In my childhood, I thought of Thiruvananthapuram as the city of distances because there were few vehicles on the road and we used to walk a lot. Cars were owned only by some rich people and officials."

Skyscrapers and vehicles

Today, cars and two-wheelers are no longer just a dream for many, thanks to loans and easy repayment options. It is the same story with housing options. Most residential areas are choc-a-bloc with sky scraping apartment complexes that are replete with gyms and swimming pools.

Nita S. Iyer, French teacher and housewife, adds, "Ten years ago, people still preferred to build houses. Today, they're more aware of the advantages of a flat. So more are going for apartments." And most people living in these no longer shop at the local grocery store, but the new avatar of global shopping - the supermarket. To a great extent, the changing profile of working professionals is influencing the evolving lifestyle of this otherwise quiet town.

B.R. Swarup, advertising professional says, "The floating population - those working in Thiruvananthapuram, especially in Technopark, but hailing from other states - is catalysing change by creating demand for certain products. This is necessary because this city is very much tradition-bound."

Café culture

This change is evident in the growing `café culture.' Tom Thomas, general manager of Coffee Beanz, the city's first coffee pub adds, "Tastes are definitely changing... these days, sandwiches and burgers are getting popular among youngsters." "

But this change, though not sweeping, can be perceived in other areas too. Sudha Warrier says, "Those days, film festivals were unheard of... cultural festivals were mostly religious." Today, the city not only hosts international and national film festivals, but even has poetry circles, to the delight of discerning culture-vultures. Nita Iyer reaffirms this broadening of interests, "The number of students learning foreign languages has definitely gone up. More and more people are realising the advantages of learning a foreign language," she says.

Krishnakumar, Centre Director, T.I.M.E., adds, "When we started in 1998, I could count the number of students who even dare to dream of the IIMs, on my fingers. Today, the numbers have boomed." Unlike in the past when most wanted to do management studies within Kerala, 90 per cent now want to study outside Kerala, in a premier institute, he points out.

More students are opting for part-time jobs while studying, observes Krishnakumar. "Beyond financial independence, this helps to shape their career focus," he says. Many are also willing to move to places like Bangalore, Chennai and Pune. "The old mindset of staying close to home and compromising on the company and salary to work in little known companies has undergone a drastic change," he adds.

However, not everybody living here believes the city has changed. There are many who think Thiruvananthapuram is still very much the same. Joseph Manuel, a government official asks, "Has it changed? I don't think so. The city is still the same." Sherin, an IT professional adds, "There have been only cosmetic changes. People are still the same."

What is interesting is many Thiruvananthapuram-ites are not too disturbed by this. Despite the fact that the city still has lot of catching up to do with the metros, as Swarup says, "This is a nice place to settle down... It is still green, less polluted."

So, there may be no shopping malls or multiplexes or discotheques, yet, but there are palaces, a lovely museum, beaches and the beautiful Kowdiar-Vellayambalam road, which stands as a symbol of the old and the new. And that is the beauty of Thiruvananthapuram. No matter how new it gets, it will still be old.

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